Pens Insider: A nuclear reaction

Jarome Iginla and James Neal each scored twice and the Penguins routed the Senators 7-3 on Wednesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Sidney Crosby, Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis also scored for Pittsburgh, and Tomas Vokoun made 30 saves. Down 2-1 after the first period, the Penguins scored twice in a 40-second span early in the second and added four goals in the first 10 minutes in the third. Milan Michalek, Kyle Turris and Daniel Alfredsson scored for Ottawa. Senators goalie Craig Anderson was benched after Pittsburgh’s sixth goal, and Robin Lehner finished the game. (AP)

STORYLINES

Trey bien There is one universal truth in a seven-game playoff series: It’s far better to be up 3-1 than tied 2-2. That’s what the Penguins earned in Game 4 with their 7-3 win Wednesday at Scotiabank Place. While no one played the “must-win” card before the opening faceoff, Senators D Marc Methot confirmed it essentially was. “This is a huge game, that’s an understatement,” Methot said. “I think we say that every single game in the playoffs but (Wednesday night), if you lose, you’re down 3-1 and headed into impossible territory in Pittsburgh.” But it’s not as impossible as Methot may have thought. The last time the Penguins held a 3-1 series lead they lost the final three games against Tampa Bay in the first round in 2011. “Anytime you get in that situation and an opportunity to close it out, you want to do it,” said captain Sidney Crosby. “We know they’ll be at their best. We have to be the same way or better.”

Have and have-dots During the first round of the playoffs, the Penguins had been one of the better teams at the faceoff circle. In this series against Ottawa, however, it hasn’t been up to Dan Bylsma’s standards. After failing to win 50 percent in any of the first three games (46, 47, 48), Bylsma mixed up his lineup for Game 4 on Wednesday. After being scratched the last five games, Jussi Jokinen returned to the lineup to help out. Although the Penguins didn’t get above 50 percent (they won 48 percent again), Jokinen did his part by winning six of 10 draws against the Senators. That’s actually slightly below his team-best 63 percent from the regular season. Entering Wednesday‘s game, the Penguins had won 49.4 during the playoffs, ranking fifth among all teams still in the Cup hunt. “Faceoffs are kind of a funny thing,” said C Brandon Sutter. “One night you win a lot and the next you have a tough time with it. When you’re going well, you want to be out there taking faceoffs. But sometime’s it’s good to have a couple other guys step in and take them.”.

Power supply Brooks Orpik doesn’t get a lot of time on the power play, but the stay-at-home defenseman had a theory why the Penguins’ slipped to No. 2 on the man advantage in the playoffs. Sure, an 0-for-6 night in Game 3 didn’t help, but that is far more the norm in the postseason according to Orpik. “League-wide, a lot of the game have been more 2-1 than 4-0,” he said. “I don’t think it’s just our team. I think teams are really concentrating more defensively this time of year.” That wasn’t the case Wednesday as defense went out the window in the Penguins’ 7-3 win. Pittsburgh converted two of five chances, both in the third period from James Neal and Jarome Iginla. For both Penguins, it was their first of the series. “We stuck with it,” said Neal, who earlier in the game rang a shot off the post. “It was great to be able to find one. It gives you a boost.”

KEY MOMENT

Trailing 2-1 to start the second, after what can only be called a sloppy first period, the Penguins looked poised and ready to claw themselves back into the game. LW Chris Kunitz scored on a breakaway just 1:08 in the period, giving the Penguins a burst and then it was their turn to take the lead. At 1:48, Senators D Erik Karlsson was knocked down in a battle with C Evgeni Malkin back in the Penguins’ zone as Pittsburgh went on the attack. Malkin shuffled a pass to RW James Neal, who collected the puck and flipped it ahead to D Kris Letang. He slid down the right wing boards before lashing a shot towards the goal. Senators G Craig Anderson lost control of the rebound -- as he had done several times during the game -- and RW Jarome Iginla was there to knock home the rebound from point blank range. That finished off two goals in a span of 40 seconds of the Penguins, giving them a 3-2 lead. (Brian Metzer)

NOTEWORTHY

-- Senators D Sergei Gonchar had a rough evening. He saw his two-game scoring streak come to an end, took a third-period penalty that led to a Penguins goal, was beaten in a battle in front of the net by Pascal Dupuis, who scored a shorthanded goal, and registered a minus-4.

-- Pittsburgh, of course, is the only town to have all of its pro sports team wearing the same colors. On Wednesday the Penguins said they were very appreciative that the Pirates would wear hockey sweaters on their upcoming road trip to Milwaukee and Detroit in a nod to the Stanley Cup playoffs. “It’s always cool to have those guys come over, and Steelers come over,” said D Brooks Orpik.” Our guys like to go over to their games. It’s good to get other athletes in the same city involved.”

-- The Penguins are now 5-1 in their last six postseason games immediately following an overtime loss. The only time that didn’t hold up was in Game 2 last season against Philadelphia.

-- The Penguins organization got some good news down on the farm. In the AHL’s Calder Cup playoffs , Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defeated Providence 5-0 in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Baby Pens became the third AHL team to overcome a three-game deficit and the first to win Game 7 on the road. WB-S will play Syracuse next.

-- The Penguins pushed their all-time record in Games 4 to 25-25, 17-13 on the road, and are 8-2 in their last 10 Games 4. They have pushed their record against the Senators in the playoffs to 12-7, 7-3 on the road and are now 5-1 all-time following an overtime loss, with the only loss coming in Game 2 against the Flyers during the opening round of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

-- RW Beau Bennett also returned to the line-up for the first time since Game 3 of the Islanders series, picking up two shots on goal and a plus-one.

-- C Sidney Crosby picked up two points (one goal), put six shots on goal and won 65 percent of his faceoffs.

-- C Evgeni Malkin has been shut out in back-to-back postseason games for the first time since Games 6 and 7 against the Canadiens in 2010. Malkin has seven points (three goals) in 10 playoff games in Ottawa.

-- D Kris Letang record four assists in the game to tie the Penguins all-time mark for assists in a single postseason game. Nine Penguins have matched the effort.

-- G Tomas Vokoun made 30 saves in the victory, while his counterpart Craig Anderson stopped 32 of 38 shots before giving way to Robin Lehner for the second time in the season. Lehner faced just four shots, but surrendered one goal.

-- Senators’ RW Daniel Alfredsson extended his scoring streak to three games with two points (one goal). He has picked up four points (two goals) over that span.

-- Senators’ RW Erik Condra saw his four game scoring streak snapped in the loss. He has picked up six points (one goal) over that span.

-- Senators’ LW Colin Greening saw his three game scoring streak snapped, he has picked up three goals over that span.

Brian Metzer contributed to this report

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